Can stay-at-home Phil Kemp earn a new home with Edmonton Oilers one day?

2019 Edmonton Oilers prospects

#18 Phil Kemp

Phil Kemp is turning out to be one helluva seventh round draft pick. However, that’s not to say Kemp will ever play for the Edmonton Oilers. He’s got a shot at a pro career but the game is moving in a different direction than his skill set, which is far more Matt Greene than it is Caleb Jones.

Kemp is an old school defensive d-man, a big, tough reliable player. He’s not a great skater or offensive talent, but he’s certainly made the most of what he has to offer.

He has consistently earned a spot with the best American prospects in their national development program. He was teammates when he was 16 and 17 with the likes of Josh Norris, Brady Tkachuk, and Quinn Hughes.

Kemp has always been a low-scoring d-man but was also seen as team leader. He served as asst. captain and captain on elite US age group junior teams.

All this culminated in December 2018 when Kemp made the USA World Junior team.

That’s an impressive accomplishment on a team where the other d-men were players like Quinn Hughes, drafted 7th overall in 2018, Dylan Samberg, 43rd overall in 2017, K’Andre Miller, 22nd overall in 2018, Mattias Samuelsson, 32nd overall in 2018, John St. Ivany, 112th overall in 2018, and Mikey Anderson, 103rd overall in 2017.

Kemp was drafted 208th overall in 2017, so he was not like the others in terms of draft pedigree. Yet Kemp came through for Team USA. In regards to his play in that tournament, the New Haven Register reported: “He drew rave reviews from the coaching staff and during the live television broadcasts for his impressive work in his own end. The highlight of the tournament for Kemp came when he cleared a puck off the goal line early in the third period with the U.S. leading Russia by a goal in the semifinals. The U.S. would win that game 2-1 to earn a spot in Saturday’s championship game. The dream of a gold medal ended with a late goal by Finland’s Kaapo Kakko in a 3-2 loss.”

Though he was drafted low in 2017, Kemp had his booster. On draft day, Sportsnet commentator Brian Lawton said: “One of the guys I focussed on for this draft was Philip Kemp, another player from the NTDP, a guy that has great size at 6’3, 202 pounds. He’s a leader, he’s got steady play, he reminds me of a Ben Lovejoy. That’s a guy that I think is going to be be a real good pick for Edmonton.”

At Yale in his first year in 2017-18, he impressed at least one observer with his puck moving. Early in that rookie season, Chip Malafronte of the New Haven Register wrote: “Phil Kemp, a freshman, and Charlie Curti, a junior, are defensemen with good offensive instincts.”

In that same story, Kemp’s coach Keith Allain said: “Kemp is a warrior, but he’s got to refine his game and be more predictable with what he does than with what he does erratic.”

Kemp scored at a low rate in his first and second seasons at Yale, but still became a key player. After the 2018-19 season, Chip Malfronte of the New Haven Register praised Kemp’s play: “Yale’s strength lies in its defensive corps. Freshman Jack St. Ivany, a Flyers’ draft pick, was named to the ECAC’s all-rookie team. Sophomore Phil Kemp, an Edmonton draft choice, could give the Bulldogs the league’s top defensive pairing next year.”

Philip KempUSA Hockey NTDP

At Dobber Hockey, Jameson Ewasiuk had this to say about Kemp’s season: “He is a big-bodied defender who plays a sound defensive game and doesn’t hesitate to engage physically… His stay-at-home style as well as his praised leadership abilities are what earned him a spot on that US team. He recorded one assist in seven games at the World Junior Championship. In a world where puck-moving defenders are all the rage, it is hard to say how Kemp will fit into the Oilers’ future plans as well as how effective he will be at the pro level in the future.”

Reasonable expectations for 2019-20: That Kemp play in the top pairing at Yale and improve on his point scoring, while still earning rave reviews for his defensive play.